Latest news with #ZakCoyne
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Mastermind of 'one-stop shop' fraud website with one million victims jailed
The ringleader of a website that promised to provide a "one-stop shop for phishing" has been jailed for eight and a half years. Zak Coyne, 24, headed up a platform called LabHost which defrauded at least one million victims across the world - including 70,000 in the UK - of more than £100m by tricking them into using payment services and shopping sites that looked real. More than 2,000 scammers signed up to the subscription-based site, many without technical skills, and used it to bombard victims with text messages which took them through to the payment sites. Coyne, of Huddersfield, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting three fraud-related offences last year. His site, LabHost, was taken down in April 2024 following a combined law enforcement operation between the Metropolitan Police and global agencies. Between August 2021 and October 2023, Coyne played a key role in creating, operating and administering the site. Labhost described itself as a "one-stop shop for phishing" created "for spammers by spammers". For a large monthly membership fee, the website provided its subscribers with access to phishing pages to defraud victims, which had the appearance of legitimate major banking, government and commercial websites but were fake. Using authorised push payment (APP) fraud, amateur scammers could steal identity information, including 480,000 bank and credit card numbers and 64,000 PIN codes, known in criminal slang as "fullz data". Criminals used the site to defraud at least one million victims in 91 countries, with the total losses to victims totalling £32m in the UK and an estimated £100m globally. LabHost itself made nearly £1 million ($1.25m) in profits from criminals. Some 25,000 of the UK victims were identified by police and sent text messages informing them which fake online payment services and shopping sites could have taken their money. Detectives said their personal details, found in a data dump from LabHost, were now "secured". After taking the site down, police sent a tailored video to 800 criminals who had used it, showing them the evidence they had gathered during the investigation. Last year, 24 suspects linked to the site were taken into custody, with arrests at Luton and Manchester airports. Worldwide, 70 properties were searched and one British man charged. Commander Stephen Clayman of the Metropolitan Police said the cases demonstrated the "commitment across law enforcement to identify and hold those to account who facilitate criminal enabling functions and think they can remain undetected. We will find you and take action." Craig Rice, chief executive of the Cyber Defence Alliance, said that such "cybercrime-as-a-service platforms" like this one had the ability to "enable thousands of other fraudsters to conduct online frauds that impacts bank and retail customers across the UK". Thomas Short, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, stressed that "fraud is far from a victimless crime and the harm caused by Coyne's offending are measured not just in monetary terms, but also in the distress inflicted on countless victims who fell prey to these scammers". The gang's activities were discovered in 2022 by a small team of investigators funded by UK financial bodies to infiltrate criminal networks on the dark web. This investigation is an example of a new approach involving police, the National Crime Agency and banking security experts to target criminals offering services to other criminals. Police bust cyber gang accused of worldwide fraud 'I was scammed out of £75k by Martin Lewis deepfake advert' QR code 'quishing' scams up 14-fold in five years
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Cyber fraudster jailed over creating scam websites for 2,000 criminals
A 23-year-old cyber fraudster who made scam websites for more than 2,000 criminals has been jailed after an international Met Police-led investigation. Zak Coyne, 23, of Woodbine Road, Huddersfield, ran the LabHost service creating bespoke phishing websites designed to trick victims into revealing personal data such as email addresses, passwords and bank details. The service was set up by a criminal cyber organisation, and for a membership fee, users could log on and choose from existing sites or request bespoke pages replicating trusted brands, including banks, healthcare agencies and postal services. This was used by over 2,000 criminals on victims all over the world and resulted in over £100 million in losses for victims. The platform was taken down in April 2024 by the Met's Cyber Crime Unit who were working on the investigation with partners across the country, including the National Crime Agency and Microsoft. In the same month, the Met arrested 24 suspects, targeting the most prolific offenders within the LabHost service, while over 70 addresses were searched. READ MORE: Shoppers 'hit the jackpot' thanks to Ninja air fryer that feeds 8 - now under £200 READ MORE: Met Police officer said rape victim 'just got raw dogged in a park by two blokes and regrets it' Coyne admitted his crimes at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday, September 18. These included making or supplying articles for use in frauds, encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence believing it would be committed, and transferring criminal property. He was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, 14 April. Officers safeguarded victims by establishing a helpline, directing people to protected advice on the Met website, and securing compromised accounts. Specially trained officers offered personalised advice, including how to further protect victims' data, and ensuring every case was reported to both Action Fraud and UK Finance. Thomas Short, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Zak Coyne operated a phishing service that provided fraudsters with the tools to impersonate trusted institutions and steal sensitive information from unsuspecting victims. 'This was a sophisticated worldwide criminal enterprise which enabled others to perpetrate fraud on a massive scale, resulting in losses totalling more than £100 million. Fraud is far from a victimless crime and the harm caused by Coyne's offending are measured not just in monetary terms, but also in the distress inflicted on countless victims who fell prey to these scams. 'This was a complex case, but the prosecution team, together with law enforcement partners, was able to unravel an intricate web of digital evidence which linked Coyne to the offending and build a strong case against him, resulting in his guilty pleas.' The Met has issued ten golden rules to help people protect themselves from fraud: Be suspicious of all 'too good to be true' offers and deals. There are no guaranteed get-rich-quick schemes. Don't agree to offers or deals immediately. Insist on time to get independent or legal advice before making a decision. Don't hand over money or sign anything until you've checked someone's credentials and their company's. Never send money to anyone you don't know or trust, whether in the UK or abroad, or use methods of payment you're not comfortable with. Never give banking or personal details to anyone you don't know or trust. This information is valuable so make sure you protect it. Always log on to a website directly rather than clicking on links in an email. Don't just rely on glowing testimonials. Find solid, independent evidence of a company's success. Always get independent or legal advice if an offer involves money, time or commitment. If you spot a scam or have been scammed, report it and get help. Don't be embarrassed about reporting a scam. Because the scammers are cunning and clever there's no shame in being deceived. By reporting it, you'll make it more difficult for them to deceive others. If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report to Action Fraud at or call 0300 123 2040. Remember that if you're a victim of a scam or an attempted scam, however minor, there may be hundreds or thousands of others in a similar position. Your information may form part of one big jigsaw and be vital to completing the picture. Get the top stories from across London directly to your inbox. Sign up for MyLondon's Daily Newsletter HERE to get the biggest stories every day
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man who helped scammers swindle at least £100m from victims is jailed
A man has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after enabling cybercriminals to defraud around one million victims in 91 countries. Minshull Street Crown Court in , heard that Zak Coyne, 24, from Huddersfield in , helped more than 2,000 scammers steal at least £100m by running a subscription-based service via his website called LabHost. Judge Jenny Lester-Ashworth described LabHost as enabling fraud "on an industrial scale". During sentencing on Monday, she told the defendant: "It was one of the most professional and sophisticated websites in the world for committing online fraud. "You also enjoyed what you were doing and also by being immersed in the criminal underworld operating online." The court heard Coyne, who was described as being on the autism spectrum, had an "obsessional interest" in computer programming and received around £200,000 from criminals subscribing to his services, paid for in he converted to sterling. LabHost was an online subscription-based service hosting phishing pages - fake versions of 185 major banking, government and commercial websites, including , , and UK banks. Subscribers would then send messages to their intended victims, often saying there had been a problem with the account, getting the customer to log in to the fake website pages and stealing their details. Simon Gurney, prosecuting, told the court that Coyne's website had caused global losses of more than £100m, of which £32m was from the UK alone. He added: "It is likely that the losses caused were substantially greater. The risk of loss occasioned by the frauds committed through LabHost can be measured in multiple billions of pounds." The platform was brought down in April 2024 following an investigation which included the Cyber Crime Unit within the , Europol and other international police forces. Thomas Short, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a sophisticated worldwide criminal enterprise which enabled others to perpetrate fraud on a massive scale. "Fraud is far from a victimless crime and the harm caused by Coyne's offending are measured not just in monetary terms, but also in the distress inflicted on countless victims who fell prey to these scams." Read more from Sky News: Adam Roxborough, defending Coyne, said: "He actually did not give any real thought to the overall scale of what he was enabling. "Once he engaged, it became something of an obsession with him." Coyne, a father-of-one, was arrested in April 2024 in the departures lounge at Manchester Airport. He admitted two offences of fraud and one of transferring criminal property at an earlier hearing. LabHost was co-created by Coyne and a Canadian individual, who has not been identified, in August 2021.
Sky News
15-04-2025
- Sky News
Man who helped scammers swindle at least £100m from victims is jailed
A man has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after enabling cybercriminals to defraud around one million victims in 91 countries. Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, heard that Zak Coyne, 24, from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, helped more than 2,000 scammers steal at least £100m by running a subscription-based service via his website called LabHost. Judge Jenny Lester-Ashworth described LabHost as enabling fraud "on an industrial scale". During sentencing on Monday, she told the defendant: "It was one of the most professional and sophisticated websites in the world for committing online fraud. "You also enjoyed what you were doing and also by being immersed in the criminal underworld operating online." The court heard Coyne, who was described as being on the autism spectrum, had an "obsessional interest" in computer programming and received around £200,000 from criminals subscribing to his services, paid for in cryptocurrency he converted to sterling. LabHost was an online subscription-based service hosting phishing pages - fake versions of 185 major banking, government and commercial websites, including Amazon, Netflix, Uber and UK banks. Subscribers would then send messages to their intended victims, often saying there had been a problem with the account, getting the customer to log in to the fake website pages and stealing their details. Simon Gurney, prosecuting, told the court that Coyne's website had caused global losses of more than £100m, of which £32m was from the UK alone. He added: "It is likely that the losses caused were substantially greater. The risk of loss occasioned by the frauds committed through LabHost can be measured in multiple billions of pounds." The platform was brought down in April 2024 following an investigation which included the Cyber Crime Unit within the Metropolitan Police, Europol and other international police forces. Thomas Short, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a sophisticated worldwide criminal enterprise which enabled others to perpetrate fraud on a massive scale. "Fraud is far from a victimless crime and the harm caused by Coyne's offending are measured not just in monetary terms, but also in the distress inflicted on countless victims who fell prey to these scams." Adam Roxborough, defending Coyne, said: "He actually did not give any real thought to the overall scale of what he was enabling. "Once he engaged, it became something of an obsession with him." Coyne, a father-of-one, was arrested in April 2024 in the departures lounge at Manchester Airport. He admitted two offences of fraud and one of transferring criminal property at an earlier hearing. LabHost was co-created by Coyne and a Canadian individual, who has not been identified, in August 2021.
